Intel Core i5 2500T

Intel's 'T' series processors are the most energy efficient CPUs in the Sandy Bridge range. As a result, the thermal design power (TDP) for this Core i5 2500T processor is 45 W, compared with 95 W for the Core i5 2500K.

That's not the only difference the 'T' makes though, as the clock speeds of the CPU's four cores are also lower, at 2.3 GHz as standard and up to 3.3 GHz with the turbo function. In practice, that makes for a 30% reduction in performance compared with a Core i5 2500K. It's therefore extra important to double-check the letter at the end of your Core i5 2500's name before you buy! All in all, the i5 2500T shows similar performances to the AMD Phenom II X4 980.


We found no real difference in power consumption between the K-series and T-series processors when idle. However, when pushed to the max, the i5 2500T is clearly more economical, with 130 W measured for our whole test computer. In comparison, the Core i5 2500K used 162 W while the Phenom II used 213 W.

For more in-depth information about the Core i5 2000 four-core processor series, please see our detailed review of the Intel Core i5 2500K. Plus, with our performance index tables, you can compare of all the CPUs we've tested to date at a glance.

Power Use	Performance: Applications	Performance: Games

View Performance Index Table